Bachelors and Masters in Health Management and Administration in Oregon

Oregon offers one of the highest average annual salaries for medical and health services administrators, ranking at number 11 out of all states in the nation at $110,500 (US Department of Labor, 2014).

A 2014 Gallup survey found that in the span of the preceding year the percentage of Oregonians with health insurance jumped from 80.6 percent to 88.3 percent. This increase can largely be attributed to expanding healthcare coverage resulting from the Affordable Care Act, which has brought with it $166 million in federal grants to date. Combined with the fact that 16 percent of Oregonians are at least 65 years of age (US Census), these two factors signal strong prospects for professionals who are involved with the state’s healthcare administration sector.

This is confirmed by the Oregon Employment Department, which projects the number of jobs for the state’s medical and health services managers will increase by 18.5 percent over the decade leading up to 2022, an impressive rate for any profession.

Oregon Healthcare Administration Degrees

Oregon residents have a number of options to choose from when it comes to selecting a bachelor’s or master’s degree in preparation for a career in health administration, both of which are available either online and through campus-based programs.

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a concentration Health Administration

Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management

Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration

The bachelor’s degree program usually takes four years to complete and consists of at least 120 semester credits. The first 60 credits are made up of general course requirements and the prerequisites that prepare students for more advanced classes specific to health administration. Schools will often accept a transfer associate’s degree to fulfill general undergraduate requirements.

The core upper-division major courses will concentrate on important topics to prepare students to graduate as specialists in their field. Subjects covered can include:

Health care informatics

Healthcare resources, payers, and consumers

Principles of leadership and management

Accounting and advertising in healthcare

Analysis of financial statements

Strategic planning in the healthcare business environment

Legal issues in the healthcare business environment

Managerial economics

Students can find relevant degree programs through online schools as well as college campuses located in cities like Portland and Corvallis.

Graduate Degrees in Health Administration

Earning a graduate degree in the field of healthcare administration is becoming a generally accepted industry standard, especially for professionals who want to advance their careers to and move into director and executive leadership positions. Oregon residents can choose from a number of relevant programs of study, including:

Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)

Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare Management or Administration

MSN/MBA dual degree program

MHA/MBA dual degree program

Master of Science in Healthcare Administration (MSHA)

JD/MSHA dual degree program

Graduate Program Admission Requirements

While each school has its own specific admission requirements, schools share many standards in common. For example, most graduate schools in this field will consider admitting students who have earned their undergraduate degree in any field. Additional common admission standards include:

Completion of course prerequisites

Minimum undergraduate GPA

Personal essay

Letters of recommendation

Professional work experience

Current employment in the healthcare industry

The graduate program can take between 12-24 months to complete, and includes between 30-60 semester credits. Some programs culminate with a thesis or capstone research project, while other programs are non-thesis.

Core courses in the program will cover topics like:

Measuring quality and performance

Healthcare economics, marketing, and advertisement

Healthcare policy and law

Quantitative methods for assessing healthcare organizations

Service line development

Decision making based on data analysis

Advanced healthcare management

Management of large healthcare organizations

Macro economics for healthcare managers

Medical informatics

Prospective graduate students can find relevant schools online as well as on campuses located in cities like:

Forest Grove

Eugene

Hillsboro

Woodburn

Portland

Corvallis

Healthcare Administration Jobs in Oregon

Once students have graduated they will be prepared to start their career search. The following jobs are provided as illustrative examples to demonstrate Oregon’s job market. These were taken from a survey of vacancies that were posted throughout the state in November of 2015:

Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland

Senior Director of Large Group Sales and Marketing – Holds the responsibility of providing strategic direction, hiring, achieving goals, and fostering an efficient work environment; preferred candidates will hold an MHA, MBA, or MPH

Account Management IV – As a senior account manager, this professional’s duties include increasing memberships, selling new products, retaining existing clients, and business plan development; preference is given for applicants with an MHA, MBA, or MPH

Director of Health Plan Regulatory and Contract Management – Carries the important responsibility of ensuring Kaiser Permanente follows the correct procedures to keep its license with state authorities in good standing; preferred applicants hold a master’s degree such as an MHA, an MBA, or a JD

Lane Community College in Eugene

Health Clinic Director – Carries the important responsibility of ensuring staff and students who seek healthcare treatment are satisfied; applicants must have a master’s degree in a related field, and preferred applicants have an MHA, MPH, MBA, MD, or PhD

PeaceHealth in Springfield

Program Director of Development – Tasked with meeting annual revenue goals by increasing funding received from high net-worth clients; strongly preferred candidates hold an MHA or MBA

Resources for Healthcare Administrators and Managers in Oregon

Oregon is host to several large players in the healthcare industry as well as organizations that can assist professionals with training, development, and employment.